Document protector



ct. 22, 1935. J on- 2,017,9521 DOCUMENT PROTECTOR Filed Jan. 5, 1935 INVENTOR Abra/1am I Rothmnn ATTORN EY8.

Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES I T'E'LNT F F IQ E DOCUMENT PROTEGTOR Abraham J. Rothman, New York, N. Y.

Application January 5, 1935;.Serial No; 415

Claims.

provide a structure of this type comprising a.v

of this nature a structure adapted to the ready 25 insertion of the document for operation thereon. A still further object is to provide means whereby the device may be mounted in any one of a number of suitable places.

A further object is to provide a device of this 30 nature constructed so that there is no danger of injury to the operator from the piercing points.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a sliding locking device for holding the protector in closed position when not in use.

These and many other objects as will appear from the following disclosure are secured by means of this invention.

This invention resides substantially in the combination, construction, arrangement and relative location of parts, all as will be described in greater detail in the following specification.

In the drawing, Figure l is a top, plan view of a device in ac- 45 cordancewith this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof; and Figure 3 is a bottom, plan view thereof. The protector comprises an outer strip of spring metal or other suitable resilient material 5 which is folded along a transverse line to provide a bend 3 and to form the strip into a generally U-shaped form, comprising the legs I and 2. The bend 3 is nearer one end of the strip than the other by a distance equal to the length 55 of the flap 4 which is bent over upon the leg I of the: stripsto: provide. adouble thickness at that end- Holes: 5 are pierced through the-doublev thickness; as. shown.. A126 are a series of sharp points or ears. of any suitable configuration whichare struck: up out at thezmaterlal of the leg 5 2 in alignment with the holes 5. The bend at 3 is such as to provide space. for. the stripper plate I, which is preferably, but not necessarily, of spring metal which. has a: length approximately equal. to the length of one of. thelegs. The strip- 0' per plate I fits: snugly'in at thebend 3 and the U-shaped: member and the. stripper plate are secureda permanently together by any suitable means. such as; by spot welding, as indicated at 8. in; the drawing- The stripper plate is provided. with perforations-i aligned with the ears 6 and. the holes 5 in. the leg I...

The outer free end. of. the stripper plate is curved outwardly from-.the. leg I, as: indicated at. 9-, to: provide ZLIIIOU-th'. intowhich the edge of the document to: be operated. uponv may be easily inserted and then slid into position in alignment with the: holes 5:... The: document. may be readily positioned. for piercing at. the desired area by observing: it through: the holes: 5: in the flap 4. As will be apparent from: Eigure 2, the. leg 2 of-the strip is given a naturah set. so as to space it from the leg I and; the stripper plate I a suflicient distance undernormal: conditions so that the piercing. points 6 are; fully withdrawn from the 30,

holes 5. Both legs I and: 2. and the stripper plate I are provided with a longitudinal. and preferably medial slot I'll" extending. from adjacent the bend 3- for. a. suitabledistance towards the free ends of the: strips. to provide a guideway within which the sliding; catch. H is mounted. This catch provided with: enlarged heads at each end and has a snug sliding. fit with the three strips adjacent. the: bend. When the sliding catch is moved towards. the right the normally offset 401 leg; 2 is moved into contact: with the free edge of the lip 9; as indicated by dotted lines in Figure; 2, sothat. the piercing points lie within the holes 5. In this position. the piercing: points do not. project: above the. upper: surface of. the. flap 4. The flap 4 thus strengthens the structure and provides a suitable thickness of metal within which to nest the points and also to receive the points without projection, thereby eliminating possible injury to the user of the device. The lip 9 on the stripper plate is also proportioned so as to provide a stop against whichthe leg 2 presses, limiting the depth of penetration of the piercing points into the holes 5. When a document is pierced pressure is naturally applied on both sides of the device in alignment with the piercing points, making it necessary that the piercing points not project above the outer face of the flap 4.

The device is provided with two forms of mounting means. Thus, adjacent the bend two or more holes 13 are pierced entirely through the body of the device so that it may be permanently mounted on the edge of a desk, table, or other suitable support. If the device is to be carried about it may be mounted in a checkbook or other pocket folder by means of the spring clips I2, which are struck out from the leg 2. These spring clips are curved at their free ends to permit ready application of the device over the edge of a pocketbook or the like.

From the above description, it will be apparent that this device involves certain principles of construction which may be embodied in other physical forms without departure from the scope of the invention. I do notytherefore, desire to be strictly limited to the disclosure as given for purposes of illustration but rather to the scope of the appended claims.

What I seek to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A device as described, comprising a pair of joined spring plates having piercing means thereon which cooperate when moved towards each other, and a stripper plate interposed between said plates, said stripper plate having a stop thereon for engagement with one of said spring plates when moved towards the other.

2. A device as described, comprising a pair of spring plates, one of which has a plurality of apertures therein and the other a plurality of piercing points mounted for entry into the apertures, a stripper plate mounted between said plates and having apertures therein through which the piercing points operate, and means for limiting the distance the points enter into the perforations.

3. A device as described, comprising a U- shaped member of spring material having a plurality of apertures on one leg thereof and a plurality of piercing lugs mounted on the other leg thereof in alignment with said apertures, and a stripper plate mounted between said legs having a plurality of apertures in alignment with the apertures of said leg, and means formed on the stripper plate for limiting the movement of the legs toward each other.

4. A device as described, comprising a single strip of spring material formed into U-shape, one of the legs of the U-shape having a plurality of apertures therein and the other a plurality of piercing lugs mounted thereon in alignment with said apertures, a stripper plate mounted between the legs of the U-shape so as to lie close to the apertured leg of the U-shape, and means for holding all of said parts in assembled relation, the apertured leg of the U-shape being of greater thickness at the region of the perforations than the remainder thereof.

5. A device as described, comprising a single strip of springmaterial formed into a U -shape, one of the legs of the U-shape having a plurality of apertures therein andthe othera plurality of piercing lugs mounted thereon in alignment with said apertures, a stripper plate mounted between the legs of the U-shape so as to lie close to the apertured leg of the U-shape, and means for holding all of said parts in assembled relation, the free end of the stripper plate being longitudinally curved towards the leg of the U-shape having the piercing lugs to facilitate the insertion of documents between it and the perforated leg and acting as a stop to limit the movement of the leg having the lugs thereon towards the stripper plate and the other leg. 15

6. A document protector as described, comprising a U-shaped body of resilient material having cooperating piercing means thereon, the legs of the U-shape normally flaring apart and having aligned slots, and a slide in said slots interengaging the legs of the U-shape for drawing them together when slid towards the free ends of the legs.

7. A document protector as described, comprising a U-shaped body of resilient material having cooperating piercing means thereon, the legs of the U-shape normally flaring apart, a slide interengaging the legs of the U-shape for drawing them together when not in use, and clip means for mounting the device on a suitable support.

8. A document protector as described, comprising a U-shaped body made of a single piece of resilient material, one leg of the U having a plurality of apertures therein and the other hav- 7 ing a plurality of piercing lugs mounted thereon in alignment with said apertures, a stripper plate mounted between the legs of the U and having a plurality of apertures in alignment with said apertures, and means for limiting the movement of the legs of the U towards each other.

9. A document protector as described, comprising a U-shaped body made of a single piece of resilient material, one leg of the U having a plurality of apertures therein and the other hav ing a plurality of piercing lugs mounted thereon in alignment with said apertures, a stripper plate mounted between the legs of the U and having a plurality of apertures in alignment with said apertures, and a reinforcing flap on the apertured leg comprising a portion thereof bent back upon itself and having apertures in alignment with the apertures of the leg.

10. A document protector as described, comprising a U-shaped body made of a single piece of resilient material one leg of the U having a plurality of apertures therein and the other having a plurality of piercing lugs mounted thereon in alignment with said apertures, a stripper plate mounted between the legs of the U and having a plurality of apertures in alignment with said apertures, and means formed on the end of the stripper plate for limiting movement of the legs of the U towards each other. 7

ABRAHAM J. ROTHMAN. 

